Mob Wives: Mob Wives Meet Dr. Drew

This week four of our favorite Mob Wives met with Dr. Drew to discuss various topics, including more tidbits on season three. Dr. Drew welcomed Renee, Karen, Ramona and Big Ang to the show to discuss some of the issues women “married to the mob” have to face. Along with his questions, viewers were encouraged to call in and ask the ladies questions of their own. 

Dr. Drew zeros in on Big Ang first. He has read her book and what jumps out at him is all the plastic surgery she has had. Big Ang wants to know what’s wrong with plastic surgery if you feel it makes you look better? Then he touches on the fact that Big Ang was arrested and under house arrest. She admits, as she does in her book, that she was arrested for selling cocaine and she didn’t like house arrest. Big Ang speaks about her peace making efforts on the show and says she didn’t like it and it didn’t work. Big Ang reveals that her daughter is a special-ed teacher. Dr. Drew says he has visited the Drunken Monkey and met Big Ang’s daughter, she is lovely. Big Ang says she works at the Drunken Monkey, one night a week, on Fridays. The first caller has questions for Big Ang regarding her plastic surgery. Big Ang says she had three surgeries on her breasts. Big Ang will not reveal her size so Dr. Drew says in her book she says they are a 36J. The next caller has a comment that the show brings nothing positive to television, just drinking and violence. Big Ang replies, that’s the real world. Big Ang’s sister, Janine calls in. She asks Big Ang who her favorite family member is. Big Ang never really gives an answer.

Next he moves on to Renee. Renee confides that in season three we are going to have a better understanding of her and why she is so emotional. Renee says viewers should know that they are all very loving women who love their children and families. Renee admits that on the show they can be a verbally and physically aggressive and maybe they could tone it down. Renee speaks about the relationships between the mob wives and how all of them cannot get along because sometimes there is a violation between them that they can’t get past. 

Dr. Drew asks if the women led “princess lives” in their adolescence? Renee admits that back then she thought it was a princess life, but really it wasn’t. Yet, she says, it was like a kind of royalty. A mob royalty. It included being taken to school in limousines, being walked into nightclubs, like someone important.

Big Ang says she spoiled her children because she didn’t have much as a child. Her father ran numbers and her mother was a bartender and she had seven brothers and sisters. Big Ang says she didn’t go to school, she helped with the cleaning and caring for the family. 

Renee admits to being a domestic violence survivor. She wasn’t treated the way her father treated her. But she also says she had a sense of entitlement, which was wrong, but she didn’t deserve the abuse she received.

Dr. Drew welcomes Karen and Ramona to the show. They immediately start taking calls. Renee is asked about her recovery from the plastic surgery she had. Renee explains that her first procedure resulted in complications which led to a long recovery period. Her second surgery, the corrective procedure performed by Dr. Fiorillo, only required a three day recovery period. Dr. Drew makes the comment that “plastic surgery is common in Staten Island.” That comment irks Big Ang. She tells him plastic surgery is common all over the world. She says everyone she looks at has had plastic surgery. Dr. Drew gets the message and decides to go back to Renee to discuss domestic abuse a little more.

Renee tells of how she was abused pretty much from the beginning of her relationship with her ex-husband. Renee says it was accepted and thought of as “if he raises his hand to you it means he loves you more.” And Renee says if he raises his hand once, he will likely do it again. Renee reveals she had been with her ex for 23 years and pretty much the violence went on the entire time, except for the seven years he spent in prison. Renee wants women to realize that can get out of that situation and she is willing to help anyone who needs it.

We finally get to hear from Karen and Ramona. First he asks Ramona about her ordeal with her ex-husband when she was held in Jordan with her children and could not come home. Then he moves on to Karen and her book. Karen gives a little information about how her father, Sammy “The Bull” Gravano was a mobster for the Gambino crime family who turned informant. Karen was shunned by her community, and now she has written her book and revisited her past to find closure and move on. She says she got through it because she had a good support team like Ramona, Renee and Jennifer. Ramona says she also experienced domestic violence during the time she was out of the country. Karen says she never experienced domestic violence, but suffered more from abandonment issues.

Karen says they are strong passionate women and that’s why their arguments appear so aggressive. It all stems from loyalty. And Renee agrees that when they feel violated that’s when things get serious and they attack.

Then Dr. Drew calls attention to Ramona’s cell phone which is encased in brass knuckles. Everyone laughs. Ramona says it’s just an accessory. She loves accessories.

A viewer asks if they are all happy in their lives because sometimes their smiles seem artificial. Big Ang says she is happy. Karen says she is a very happy place right now. Ramona says she is happy, but sometimes she has to force a smile for the camera because life with four children can be complicated. If she is having a down day she doesn’t want to drag everyone down with her. Renee says she wishes she could be happy all the time, but she still struggles with issues internally and we will see more of this during season three. And then Dr. Drew touches on AJ, Renee’s son, and says what a great young man he is (don’t you know that is where I agree 100%!) Renee is a great mom and she is proud of her son. She says they are both working to help domestic abuse victims.

There is a question about hair products from a viewer. Karen answers that she uses every kind of hair product and isn’t loyal to any one brand. Ramona basically says the same thing. Renee doesn’t seem to care what hair products she uses either. Big Ang gets two blowouts a week. (It's amazing because they all have such great looking hair!)

The topic comes up about how Staten Island residents were complaining that Mob Wives represented the Italian community badly. Karen replies saying that she represents herself, not Staten Island or the Italian community. Karen explains that even when she wrote the book about her own life, the community was fighting her on that. Karen says the book shows that she doesn’t condone the lifestyle and admits to her own mistakes. It is one of many steps she is taking to move forward in a positive direction with her life.

It was great to see all the ladies again. They all looked wonderful and were s sight for sore eyes! 

Picture Credit: Dr. Drew HLN and my camera